Sick days cause the economy pain

Red tape and a lack of entrepreneurial spirit are usually blamed for impairing the European Union’s ability to compete with global rivals. But according to a report published yesterday (30 September), poor worker well-being could also be “a serious impediment to economic growth and competitiveness”.

The study by the Work Foundation, a UK-based think-tank, found that one in six employees in the EU (44 million) has a health problem or disability that affects their ability to work.

The most frequent cause of absence from work is musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) – conditions affecting bones, joints and tissues, such as back pain and rheumatoid arthritis.

Although the quality of data varies, the researchers estimated that MSDs cost the EU up to 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) every year. This is at the top end of estimates from some member states (Germany, the Netherlands and the UK) which have put the cost of MSD at0.5-2% of GDP.

The cost is not only lost productivity but also expenditure by health services. In Sweden, patients with back and neck problems account for 7% of the nation’s healthcare bills.

People working in construction and agriculture are especially affected, although anyone involved in manual work or some kind of repetitive task is at risk, from drivers and typists to nurses and machine operators. The problem is likely to get worse as the working population ages and obesity puts more people at risk.

Despite some examples of imaginative policy thinking, the researchers argue that workers with these conditions “remain almost invisible to national and EU policymakers”.

Ethical and moral issue

The Nordic countries and the Netherlands are taking action to address the problem, but many other European countries are not, says Stephen Bevan, managing director of the Work Foundation. Taking action is “not just economically sensible”, but is “also an ethical and moral issue”, he claims.

Presenting the study in the European Parliament this week (30 September), the researchers called for a more flexible benefit system to help people stay in work.

In many countries, a rigid benefit system keeps the labour market shut for many people with disabilities who would like to work. Allowing people with a partial disability to have an income and still claim some benefits could help them stay in work and get off long-term benefits.

The researchers also want national governments to ensure speedy access to physical and psychological therapies for people with these conditions, because early diagnosis and treatment can minimise the cost to society in the long-run.

Most of the policy levers are in the hands of national governments, but the EU has a role to play. The Union still takes “a narrow health and safety view” of these conditions, says Bevan.

He would like to see the European Commission doing more to support the exchange of ideas between member states, as part of its strategy for the “post-recession economy”.

Law changes

Next year, the Commission is expected to propose a directive on MSDs that will bring together existing laws on vibration and heavy loads. Trade unions want an ambitious proposal to address what they see as a growing problem, but employers’ organisations want little more than an update of the current laws.

In early discussions on the directive, the Commission has looked at requiring certain employers to assess the risk to their employees and to draw up prevention programmes.

But although the Commission has been consulting on the issue since 2004, a final proposal is not expected until April or May 2010.